Artistic Director's Message
When I moved to Seattle in the fall of 1980 to begin training at
The University of Washington’s Professional Actor Training
Program, I knew nothing about this community. My only knowledge
of Seattle came from watching Here Come the Brides as a child (Jason
Bolt
where are you?).
The head of the training program at that time, Dr. Robert L. Hobbs,
well understood the necessity of contacts in the theatre world.
Within weeks, we first year students could recite the names and
resumes of many Seattle luminaries who had come before us. Because
of this important element to my training, I knew of Arne Zaslove
and his accomplishments years before I finally met him.
It was during my training that I first went to The Bathhouse Theatre
and was mesmerized by his production of Three Penny Opera. Throughout
the years I have seen much of Arne’s work, yet I’ve never
had the opportunity to work with him.
I am thrilled to now have Arne’s work on our stage. It’s
exciting for the young actors in this cast to be directed by a Seattle
treasure (and I admit, I’m a little envious- I tried to talk
Arne into having a cheerleader fairy who’d been held back several
years....).
Most of all, I’m happy to be bringing you a piece of Seattle’s
history: a production so sweetly in tune with Shakespeare’s
intent, that it has pleased audiences for two decades now. Midsummer
is a love play for all times and Arne’s metaphor of Athens
High in 1957 gently reminds us, in a hopeful and innocent way, of
a time where the course of true love never did run smooth. I welcome
a return to innocence and hope.
How lucky are we to have artists like Arne Zaslove in Seattle.
This Midsummer is a dream come true.
- Stephanie Shine
Director's Message
The evolution of this version of Midsummer dates back to 1968 to
my tenure at the University of Washington. There have been nine
more attempts at it since then with each one slightly different.
Song selections have come and gone and of course different actors
have offered different interpretations of these wonderfully flexible
characters. The text has never changed. We are always faithful to
Shakespeare in the way musicians are devoted to their composers.
The first time around the archetypes of the male lovers was reversed
and Oberon was played blind and Puck was like Harpo Marx. It gave
it a Becketian interpretation. A few rock and roll songs played
in the hallway during intermission. The action was in a huge marina
on Portage Bay and Puck scampered in the rafters. The second attempt
was in Montreal when I was Artistic Director of the National Theater
School of Canada. The songs were sung by a coach-like figure (the
singing instructor) commenting on the action, while the cast
all sat in the bleachers watching the game.
Not until The Floating Theater Company production in 1978 did we
integrate the songs into the story lines. It only ran for a week
in what is now called The Egyptian Theater on Capitol Hill and featured
my good friend John Aylward as Bottom.
Oberon made his entrance from the lobby on a motor-cycle and the
audience sat in the horseshoe shaped balcony looking down on the
foolish lovers. It became a sort of leg-end due to the short run
and Roger Downey’s rave review. The first Bathhouse production
ran for six months... which was the longest running show in Seattle’s
history until some Angry Housewives unseated it. One might expect
that I have grown weary of the script and concept; but does a conductor
complain as he approaches a major symphony again and again? Hardly!
Each time I give myself an assignment to invent something new and
each time we explore the text more deeply. This cast is exceptionally
gifted and several actors are repeating their roles from the last
production. I’ve enjoyed working on this version immensely
and wish to thank Stephanie Shine for the opportunity to do it for
Seattle Shakespeare Company. I hope that you enjoy it too, but if
not, wait a few years...perhaps I’ll try for number eleven.
- Arne Zaslove
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